Part two of what I do with my Clad: Knife/Sheath, and now a belt and buckle!

Skippy SH13

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Some of you have followed my other thread where I built the damascus knife and leather sheath for my father for Christmas.

I followed it up by combining my last winter hobby (silver casting) by casting a silver buckle and then making a matching leather belt.

The amount of work that goes into a belt, I learned, is about 3x what goes into a leather sheath. There are over 2000 hammer strikes in 38" belt (or at least this one). I also did some minor tooling on the end of the belt opposite the buckle (not shown).

The buckle is made of a combination of scrap silver from my finds, and some silver bullion (purchased with clad). There was over 3 ounces of silver in the pour, and the finished product is over 2 troy ounces. (I have a small button left over, about a half-ounce worth), and lost some silver due to cleanup of the finished piece. I alloyed the silver bullion down to 925, by adding pre-1982 copper pennies according to weight. Works well enough. Scrap silver was already 925. The final belt buckle is actually higher than true sterling (probably closer to 93.5% actually, as I added some pure silver to ensure there was enough in the pour).

I left the cast silver with some cast marks in it, to give it some distinction. It's kind of a cool piece, and should weather nicely with cool grooves and such that won't stay polished.

I love how the pattern and coloration of the belt and sheath both match. Going to make an awesome "from the son" Christmas present.

Looking forward, though, to warmer days, where I can get out and find some more clad, silver, and gold! Hammering inside, and leatherwork is getting old, fast. I ended up doing two more belts (one for each boy), but bought buckles for them (much cheaper than casting silver!).

Cheers,

Skippy
 

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Awesome work Skipper!!

Reminds me of a silver buckle I dug...

Merry Christmas!

<°)))>{
 
Beautiful work but even better to see that "Made in America" talents still exist.
 
Beautiful work but even better to see that "Made in America" talents still exist.


Well, if the time I put into the pieces as an amateur is 1/4 to what someone puts in as an expert, it’s no wonder we buy from China. This kind of handcrafted worlk would be wicked expensive in the USA!
Skippy
 
Nice work. I did silversmithing for over thirty years but even though I know how, I never did get into casting. Everything was cut and soldered together. I taught myself and it kept me going when I couldn't find anything else. I finally quit because of my eyesight and my hands just aren't that steady anymore. I miss it and hated to quit because I guaranteed everything I made.
 
One I dug up..

Might have to look into having it put on a belt..

<°)))>{
 

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One I dug up..

Might have to look into having it put on a belt..

<°)))>{

It's easy to do. You can either cut the threads on an existing belt or make one of your own. Thread needles and thread are available at pretty much any hobby store. You can also wax your own cotton thread (leather is pretty abrasive, and the wax protects the thread).

Be happy to show you with pictures, if you need a guide.

Cheers,

Skippy
 
I wasn't referring to economics, just the craftsmanship.

It's definitely been an eye-opener on why craftsmanship is disappearing. We fill our time with all kinds of electronic stimulation, now, instead of actually building/crafting.

It makes me happy to have hobbies that produce treasures, whether they're handmade or found!
 
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